Sachin Tendulkar fans bid farewell to their hero

Thousands of Sachin Tendulkar fans fill the streets of Mumbai as the legendary
cricketer plays his farewell Test match

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar enthralled with a majestic 74 in his farewell Test match in Mumbai on Friday, with India on course for victory in the second and final Test against the West Indies.

Resuming his innings at an overnight 38, the 40-year-old delighted the packed Wankhede Stadium, with a host of VIPs in attendance including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan.

Thousands of Tendulkar fans also took to the streets of Mumbai around the stadium.

A heavy police presence was needed to hold back the crowds when the India team bus arrived, with the occasion made extra-special by the fact that Tendulkar had chosen to play his last match in his home town.

Widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of his generation, Tendulkar is the first player to score one hundred international centuries, and the first to complete 34,000 runs in international cricket.

The hero's welcome conferred on Tendulkar somewhat overshadowed the centuries recorded by team-mates Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma as India built up an imposing 495 for a 313-run lead.

Pujara praised Tendulkar's innings, saying he was "always in form," and "the way he bats is always a pleasure to watch".

"It is not easy to stay calm when you are playing your last match," Pujara said.

"And I think there were a lot of expectations for him (Tendulkar) since he was playing in Mumbai and it was his last test match. The way he batted I think it is incredible, only he can do it, I guess."

For his millions of adoring fans, there is a slight chance that Tendulkar could bat again, but that depends on the course of the second Test over the next three days.